Last week we were told by eight of the 10 current formula 1 teams that there would be a break away series which would run alongside the official Formula 1. This would no doubt have ripped the sport to pieces with the official series containing the lesser teams and smaller sponsors, and the other, unofficial series containing the large sponsors, manufacturers and drivers...Well don't worry!Problem solved because the teams have today U-turned and decided that they're not going to break away after all!

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and FIA President Max Mosley on one side and the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) on the other, an agreement seemed like it could not be reached over one major issue-Budget capping...Now the thinking behind this was that putting a budget cap on the teams of £40 million each per season would be a good idea. In theory it could have worked but for one exception. This would have been a two tier rule, so the major teams such as Ferrari and McLaren could spend what they liked, whilst new teams or "applicable" teams with a small enough base would be allowed into the sport and would only be allowed to spend £40 million. This prompted the 8 teams of FOTA (Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW, Toyota, Brawn, Red Bull and Toro Rosso) to announce that they would begin their own championship running at circuits which the F1 cars don't or no longer run at such as Imola, Montreal and Indiannapolis running under their own rules. Fortunately though this is now not going to happen

Common sense has prevailed on this occasion and whilst the rules for the 2010 season are not yet as clear as they could be, we do now at least know that there will be a series known as Formula 1 in 2010 with the following teams competing:

SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO / FERRARI
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES / McLAREN MERCEDES
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM / BMW SAUBER
RENAULT F1 TEAM / RENAULT
PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING / TOYOTA
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO / STR TBA
RED BULL RACING / RBR TBA
AT&T WILLIAMS / WILLIAMS TOYOTA
FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM / FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM / BRAWN TBA
CAMPOS META TEAM / CAMPOS COSWORTH
MANOR GRAND PRIX / MANOR COSWORTH
TEAM US F1 / TEAM US F1 COSWORTH

This grid is now up from 20 cars this year to 26 next year (this was the initial reason that the budget cap was introduced-to try and give the new teams more of a chance) and Cosworth have reappeared on the grid as an engine manufacturer-supplying engines to the 3 new private teams on the grid. These 13 team have signed a contract to run thru the 2012 season which adds some much needed stability to the series which travels through 5 continents on it's way through a season. One condition to the entrie though was that the FIA President Max Mosley was not to be allowed to stand for the post again given the controversy this year.

Obviously this story is good news overall for Formula 1 but the 2010 season will in all likelihood be much different to this season as the teams will be underprepared and underdeveloped for the season but the most important thing is there WILL be a Formula 1 next year and there will NOT be a breakaway series...(deep breath)...phew...anyway after all of that we do still have a 2009 season rumbling on despite this nonsense and we head off to the Nurburgring on the 12th July for the German grand prix! I've included the driver standings so far this season below...